


There are ghosts on Tatooine....

by Is_Olivia_even_a_person



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ben Solo Angst, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canon Compliant, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Force Dyad (Star Wars), Parents Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Solo, Sad Ending, Soft Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25181158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Is_Olivia_even_a_person/pseuds/Is_Olivia_even_a_person
Summary: "There are ghosts of what could have been at night on Tatooine"
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	There are ghosts on Tatooine....

_„There are ghosts of what could have been at night on Tatooine“_

******

Rey opens her eyes slowly. Her mind is still a haze from a night full of sleep.  
She feels dizzy and rubs her eyes, yawning.  
It must be morning already; sunlight is beaming through the windows of Lars homestead illuminating the room.  
Rey sighs. She feels something warm and heavy curled around her. _Ben._

Rey remembers last night with a huge smile.  
They had spent the entire evening eating her favorite food Ben had cooked for her….  
and later they had been kissing lazily in bed until they both fell asleep curled up together.  
It was a perfect ending to a stressful day and Rey enjoyed every single second of it.

Ben‘s arm is slung around her holding her tightly and their legs are entangled. She feels his steady breathing and sometimes she hears a small snort.  
Warmth is radiating from his body. She feels safe in his arms; her favorite place in the entire galaxy. 

Rey smiles and carefully turns around to face her equal in the Force. He is still asleep. His dark hair a mess and his face seems so peaceful.  
The burden of his past forgotten.  
He looks years younger when he is asleep, that’s why Rey loves watching him sleep. She always does admire him in the morning; she is the one who wakes up early and he always sleeps in.  
Old habits are broken hard. 

Rey leans forward and kisses him gently on his forehead. Ben stirs a little bit.  
Without opening his eyes he says quietly "Good morning, sweetheart.“ His voice is even deeper than usual sending shivers through her body.  
Rey smiles at him. "I didn’t mean to wake you, but I couldn’t resist.“ He snorts and opens his eyes. "Yeah, sure.“ 

Ben draws her closer und tugs his head over her shoulder. He is lazily combing through her messy hair. Rey just sighs and closes her eyes.  
She can feel his overwhelming love for her through the bond. The Force is humming in approval between them.  
She loves how they perfectly fit into each other’s arms. 

"Can we please stay like this a little bit longer before…“ Ben doesn’t finish his sentence, but Rey knows what he means.  
She just murmures something and snuggles closer, closing her eyes and melting into him. 

The moment is perfect. Rey feels whole again. She feels safe only in his arms.  
Nightmares that have been haunting her for years are gone in his presence. 

Healing after Exegol took time;  
it took years full of many sleepless nights and late night talks.  
Apologizing and learning from each other.  
Moving forward to a better future and learning how to appreciate the small but happy moments full of love and laughter with each other. 

"Rey?“ Ben interrupts her thoughts. She turns and looks at him curiously. "Hm, what’s wrong?“  
Ben shifts, he seems nervous. "I know we decided to wait, but I thinks it’s time.“  
Rey smiles, she knows exactly what he is talking about. She asks anyway, teasing him. „And what would this be, Ben?“ 

He laughs. "You know what I’m talking about…“ he runs his hand through his hair.  
Rey just watches him with a grin.  
He always does that when he is nervous. "I’m just scared that you will say no again…“ he finally manages to say.  
Rey hits him, laughing. "Are you kidding me? Of course I’d say no when you propose after what… one year while I was giving birth?!“ 

Ben laughs and blushes.  
Rey loves hearing him laugh. At the beginning it was such a rare occurance, every single one was a silent blessing for her.  
She knew the moment she had seen his smile for the first time that she couldn’t imagine letting a day go by without seeing him happy.

He kisses her jaw and whispers "So, Rey of Jakku will you marry me this time?“ His voice is so gentle and full of love. 

Rey intertwines their hands. "Of course, Ben. Of course.“ She can feel him smiling against her lips when he starts kissing her. Rey answers his slow, but demanding kisses and pulls him closer.  
She can feel his longing through the bond matching hers.  
Like they first time they had kissed her body feels like a live wire every time they touch. 

Ben starts kissing her jaw and neck.  
Rey shivers and sighs his name.

Suddenly they hear a high-pitched voice and tiny footsteps coming closer.  
They break apart, panting. Ben groans „She is awake.“ Rey sits up when a little girl comes running into their room. 

"Mommy, Mommy“ she is crying. She jumps in Rey’s arms and cuddles against her.  
Rey is stroking her dark, wavy hair and pulls her closer. "Did you have a nightmare again?“ Her daughter nods frantically, but her tears are already drying.

„Everything is alright“ Rey soothes her. "You’re going to be alright. It was just a nightmare. It’s not real.“ She nods, hidding her face in her chest.  
"You know that Mommy and Daddy will always protect you? You’re safe.“ Their daughter stops sobbing, and looks up with big hazel eyes.  
"Promise?“ she asks almost inaudibly. Rey’s heart aches.  
"We promise, sweetheart. We’re always gonna be there for you.“ Rey glances at Ben, almost tearing up. 

It breaks her heart seeing their daughter crying like this. It makes her sick with worries that maybe those are nightmares like Ben had to endure….  
Ben squeezes her hand, sending her comfort through the bond. _"Rey, she is safe here with us.“_ She nods.  
Of course she is. Rey would do anything to protect her daughter, she would give her life without hesitation…  
she knew the moment she found out she was pregnant and felt her faint life force for the first time. 

Ben leans forward and takes her in his arms. "Lia? Do you want to come with me and make breakfast for your Mom?“ Lia nods and grabs Ben’s hands.  
She is so tiny compared to her father. Every time Rey sees them together she is in awe how much they resemble each other.  
Lia has Ben’s dark and wavy hair, his big ears and beautiful soft eyes.  
Ben lifts her in his arms and leans down to kiss Rey gently on the forehead. 

"Stay in bed. I’m making breakfast today.“ Rey nods, thanking him silently. She sends him love through the bond.  
Rey’s heart is aching with happiness.  
She never would have thought she would find belonging one day. She never would have thought that she would find her family again and now she even has one of her own. 

Ben turns around, still smiling and holding their daughter in his arms, when suddenly everything starts to fade.  
The room around her dissolves into nothingness. 

Rey is confused, she starts to panic. What is going on? Where is she? Rey calls out their names, sobbing. „Ben! Ben! Lia…“ her voice wavers.  
Her vision is blurry with tears and her desperate screams echo in her ears. She is pulled back into reality. 

Rey bolts up, panting. It’s dark around her. Everything seems so familiar, yet at the same time it feels so wrong … almost as if something is missing.  
The air is suprisingly chilly and it hurts every time she takes a breath. Rey starts to shiver and she feels tear pooling in her eyes. 

Desperation hits her, but she doesn’t know what it caused. The excruciating pain in her chest makes it hard to breathe. Disorientated it takes her a few moments before she remembers… 

She is living alone in Lars homestead, sitting on her lonely bed and shivering.  
She had planned to stay just a few days to say her farewell to Luke and Leia.  
Days turned into weeks and weeks into months… she can’t remember the last time she spoke to her friends, withdrawing herself into her grief.

Her dream rushes back to her. She remembers Ben’s soft words and gentle touch.  
Their daughter’s eyes full of love and little arms clinging to her in a tight embrace. The belonging and love she felt and so desperately craves. 

Tears are streaming down her face. Her heart is aching, her soul ripped apart. She feels like half of her is missing and it probably is.  
Her equal in the Force died months ago giving his life to her. 

The suffocating loneliness is unbearable. Rey clutches the dark sweater with a hole lying next to her. _His_ sweater. 

She presses the dark fabric against her chest, sobbing while tears are streaming down her face.  
His sweater is already losing his smell, but Rey has nothing else left of him …. besides the gaping hole in her chest. He exists now only in her memory. 

At day Rey is haunted by the horrors of Exegol. Reliving again and again how her heart shatters in a million pieces every time she sees and feels him die.  
At night she never has nightmares.  
She dreams of what could have been. She dreams of ghosts that will never be.  
Every time she wakes up her pain is even worse than being tormented by nightmares. Being forever haunted by what could have been…..

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry 😭


End file.
